The Flying Pickets
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
A Brief Guide toThe Semantics of Modern Warfare.
The PR people in the government and defence industries have tried to contort our language to anaesthetise us to the fact that they are in the killing game. I provide a brief guide below to some of the terms that they are using with a rough translation. Dear reader, your comments and additional contributions would be welcome.
Ministry of Defence - Ministry of War.
Rendition - torturing people abroad so that you cannot be held legally accountable in your own country.
International War Crimes Court - A war crimes court from which western leaders are exempted.
Surgical strike - dissecting people with shrapnel.
No fly zone - We fly, you die zone.
Protecting innocent civilians - providing military support to armed militia.
All necessary measures - permission to kill, maim and destroy.
Tyrant - a dictator who does exactly what other dictators do but who does not serve your cause.
Asset freezing - bank robbery.
Armed drone - flying bomb.
Collateral damage - the killing of innocent civilians.
Attritioning - destroying.
Finally we have that wonderful mish mash of synonyms depending on which side you are on:-
Terrorists = Freedom Fighters= Rebels=Pro-democracy supporters.
Ministry of Defence - Ministry of War.
Rendition - torturing people abroad so that you cannot be held legally accountable in your own country.
International War Crimes Court - A war crimes court from which western leaders are exempted.
Surgical strike - dissecting people with shrapnel.
No fly zone - We fly, you die zone.
Protecting innocent civilians - providing military support to armed militia.
All necessary measures - permission to kill, maim and destroy.
Tyrant - a dictator who does exactly what other dictators do but who does not serve your cause.
Asset freezing - bank robbery.
Armed drone - flying bomb.
Collateral damage - the killing of innocent civilians.
Attritioning - destroying.
Finally we have that wonderful mish mash of synonyms depending on which side you are on:-
Terrorists = Freedom Fighters= Rebels=Pro-democracy supporters.
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